In Conversation with Pilvi Torsti: EU–Central Asia Relations, Skills, and Green Transitions

Pilvi Torsti (PT): Ambassador Stiprais, welcome to this very special conversation. You have a distinguished diplomatic career representing both Latvia and the EU, including service in the EU Delegation in Uzbekistan. In your new role as EU Special Representative (EUSR) for Central Asia, what does the position actually entail? 

Ambassador Eduards Stiprais (ES): It’s a peculiarly “European” role. EUSRs are appointed by the European Council, financed by the European Commission, and work functionally with the European External Action Service. In that sense, we’re truly European officials, not tied to any single institution. My mandate is to deepen relations between Europe and Central Asia and to encourage greater internal integration within Central Asia, recognising it as an emerging political entity, not merely a geographic label. 

“Strategic partnership” and why it matters 

PT: Earlier this year, the EU held the first-ever summit with the five Central Asian countries in Samarkand. Leaders committed to intensify cooperation on education, VET, and skills. Does this mark a new phase in EU–Central Asia relations? What’s different now? 

ES: The summit’s final declaration explicitly said we’re entering a phase of strategic partnership. Europe fully recognises Central Asia’s importance for our security, economic interests, and connectivity across Eurasia. Stability and societal resilience in the region are crucial, and human capital development is a core pillar of that resilience. Central Asia also has notable potential: positive natural population growth and critical raw materials that support Europe’s green and digital transitions. But technology transfer alone isn’t enough; without knowledge and skills, advanced technologies are just expensive hardware. That’s why cooperation in education and vocational training now sits at the heart of the agenda. 

Demographics, jobs, and moving up the value chain 

PT: You mentioned demography. Can you give us a concrete sense of the numbers and their implications? 

ES: Take Uzbekistan: when I first moved to Tashkent nine years ago, the population was about 34 million; today it’s nearing 40 million which means over half a million more people each year. Region-wide, Central Asia may grow from roughly 70 million today to around 114 million by 2050. With finite resources - arable land, water - countries must move up the value chain: diversify beyond agriculture and extraction into manufacturing and refining. That requires an entirely new skills base. 

From fragmentation to comparable systems 

PT: Drawing on the EU’s own experience, how can European cooperation inspire skills development in Central Asia? And how does the ETF’s DARYA approach and focus on youth fit here? 

ES: The EU’s journey - from fragmented labour markets to free movement - offers a template. Central Asia is shifting from disintegration to pragmatic cooperation, even elements of integration, driven by shared issues such as water management and connectivity. To make flexible labour markets work, countries need comparable education and VET systems, if not identical ones. That’s where EU experience, and initiatives like DARYA, can be particularly valuable, especially for youth. 

Connectivity as a “corridor of wealth” 

PT: The EU recently convened ministers from Member States and several neighbouring regions to advance a cross-regional connectivity agenda linking the EU with Central Asia via Türkiye and the South Caucasus, also aligning with Global Gateway. What does this mean for education and skills? 

ES: We’re not talking about trains merely passing through while locals look on. The goal is a corridor of wealth - an ecosystem that stretches from Central Asia to the Far East and, potentially, via a more stable Afghanistan to South Asia. To seize those opportunities, people need the right skills; otherwise, connectivity won’t translate into broad-based local benefits. 

Green transition: sun, water, wind - and new occupations 

PT: Turning to sustainability and the green transition: the ETF’s Green Skills Award recently highlighted a Mangystau Energy College initiative in Kazakhstan training young professionals in renewables via dual education. How do such projects support EU–Central Asia cooperation, and how can they be scaled up? 

ES: The most important point about Central Asia is that, despite real momentum, several countries are still among the highest emitters relative to GDP. That reality is increasingly recognised in the region, which is why there’s growing attention to climate risks and the shift to low-carbon and renewable energy. The region is well-placed: Uzbekistan enjoys 300+ sunny days a year (solar); upstream countries like Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan emphasise hydropower; and the Caspian Sea coast has persistent winds favouring wind power in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and western Uzbekistan. Alongside this, there’s a push for efficiency in energy and water use and circular-economy practices—new occupational fields that demand fresh skills. Investing here accelerates the transition in Central Asia and supports Europe’s own interlinked goals. 

Technology for people, not as an end in itself 

PT: A regular feature of this series: a question from our previous guest. Timo Harakka, a Finnish MP who has served as Minister responsible for digitalisation and transport and sits on the Parliament’s Committee for the Future, asked—without knowing today’s guest—“How do we ensure that transforming technologies will benefit humankind?” 

ES: We can’t be absolutely sure - death and taxes remain the only certainties! But we must pair technology transfer with values: technology is a means, not an end. Without that human-centred approach, technology can be misused, as history repeatedly shows. 

Quick vision for Central Asia 

PT: In ten seconds: what’s your dream for the region? 

ES: I would say a modern society that preserves its distinctive character - globally minded yet proudly local. 

PT: Ambassador Stiprais, thank you for a thoughtful conversation—and for helping us understand why skills, integration, and green transitions matter so much for EU–Central Asia ties.